Injury!

I have my first exercise injury - Does that make me an athlete?
I was doing a body balance class tonight when I heard a popping sound coming from my calf and my leg kind of went.  I tested it and it seemed OK so I finished the class - gently.  Afterwards though it kept catching at the end of my stride when I walked.   At least it means I can't do any housework tonight - always a positive!

So I had my fourth Fresh Start appointment today and I haven't lost any weight this week.  That was a little disappointing but as I had tracked all my food I know exactly where I went wrong.  I know I made some really good choices but I also drank a LOT of wine at the weekend (but I had fun doing while I was drinking it!).  It was shocking to see that over the week there were about 25 small changes I could have made to improve my diet.  Generally my diet is good - my meals are anyway.  It's the bits in between such as sugar in my coffee, a handful of crisps occasionally, wine.  So I think now is where the hard work begins.  I need to focus more when I eat between meals and really think about why I'm eating it.  So that is my challenge for the week - Mindful Eating.

Sweet Dreams
Fairy Princess Mummy
 xx

My first personal training session!

Why do people enjoy this??  That 45 minutes was one of the emotional (in a bad way) things I've done in ages!  I was meant to go to sewing group afterwards but my face was such a beetroot-reddy-purple colour I was scared they might call an ambulance (even I thought my face was about to explode when I saw the colour).

My session with the Personal Trainer started really well with a 8 minute fast walk on the treadmill to warm up and I managed to talk coherently throughout it. I thought 'This isn't too bad - and he seems like a nice lad.'  Then it got painful!  the previously lovely PT made me do 200 metres on the rowing machine - FAST followed by Kettle Bell Exercises then he made me do it again ... and again! then he made me do 20 burpees (aren't they the ones they use to break soldiers in the army?).  About half through I couldn't work out if I wanted to throw up or punch him more.  I was so relieved when he took me to the exercise bike - I thought I might get a bit of a rest but .. NO!  (I was however quite impressed with the bike which was a bit like a computer game).

Looking back though he was very supportive and I managed to do EVERYTHING he told me to without passing out.  Maybe I will learn to love it ... at least hopefully I'll love the results.  In the meantime - while I'm waiting for either of those things - does any one know how to stop me from going such a scary colour while I'm working out?

Sweet Dreams
Fairy Princess Mummy
xx

Week 3 of the Fresh Start Programme

Last week my super amazing sister had her second baby boy.  I managed to get to see her at the weekend and completely fell in love with the gorgeous boy.  I felt so contented cuddling him for ages (I did monopolise his time quite a lot!).

We also had a house full of temperatures, sniffles and snot with the lovely husband and tiger cub being unwell (baby monkey just carried on in her normal, funny way but learnt the word 'poorly' quite quickly).  I'm not great with changes to the daily routine as everything takes so much longer and I worry when my kids are sick.  As there was so much going on I didn't track any of my food last week and I didn't get to the gym at all.  Normally at this point if I'd been going to Weight Watchers I would have bunked the session and kept on eating but as I really enjoy chatting to the Health Trainer I went along yesterday anyway and am sooooooo pleased I did - I have lost another 800g which makes my total loss in two weeks 1.2kg - yippee! 

I would have blogged this last night but I finally went to a class at the gym and was tired afterwards.  I had been thinking about trying an aerobics style class but just thought made me want to eat my own weight in chocolate and then sleep for a week.  Instead I thought that a BodyBalance class might be a gentler introduction to the world of exercise.  In a way I was right.  It seems to be a yoga based class and I loved it (especially when I got to lie down for 5 minutes at the end) but today I hurt - SO MUCH.  Tomorrow I have my first one to one session with a trainer at the gym so am hoping that will be just as good. 

Sweet Dreams

Fairy Princess Mummy
xx

Fresh Start!!

So, today I had my second fresh start meeting and I am loving it.  The Health Trainer who is supporting me is incredibly lovely and easy to talk to.  She is also really encouraging (and she gave me a desperately needed cup of tea!).  In my first meeting two weeks ago we looked at a food diary I had to fill in for three days and looked at how I could make minor adjustments to start losing weight, took my weight and measured my waist. 
Today we double checked my height only to find I am an inch shorter than I thought!  But on a good note I had actually lost weight - 400g which doesn't seem a huge amount but is equivalent to nearly two blocks of butter which sounds much better.  I like the idea of comparing my weight loss to blocks of butter - not sure why, I suppose because it's easy to envision it.  I also lost 2.5cm from my waist which confuses me a little - it just seems too much.  The lovely HT double checked it and had got it right but di warn me it might not go down for a few weeks now.

So all in all a good day.  HOWEVER - I didn't get to the gym.  I had to work late and then do some more when I got home so just couldn't face trying to fit that in too.  I feel I have a long way to go when it comes to exercise but I'll keep trying.

Happy sunny days people!
Fairy Princess Mummy

I'm back!

I haven't posted for ages due to a number of 'technical difficulties'. 
First my elderly computer got poorly, which meant my lovely husband had to spend a great deal of time sorting it out so it can last probably only another few months :(  I had planned to do some posts in my lunch breaks at work but then my car got very poorly (expensively so).  This meant that my hours at work were a little tight due to sharing a car for a few days.  It was a slightly stressful time so I did what I'm good at - EATING!!!

I have made some very good choices though so although I don't think I've lost any weight I am hoping that I have stayed the same. 

Some of my good choices have been:
- signing up to the Fresh Start programme
- joining a gym (only did that today so I haven't actually been yet)
- going to a Pilates class
- reducing my coffee intake (I don't have anything against coffee - I just like it REALLY sweet)
- eating more fruit and veg
- trying not to eat after 9pm

They are all baby steps - but I am getting there slowly. 
The two most important things I've done are:
1 - getting a LOT of support to help me stay on track  
2 - starting to write down everything I eat (and how I felt and where I was)

I've got a Fresh Start meeting tomorrow and will be going to an exercise class at the gym too, so will post again after (if I have any energy left).

Sweet Dreams
Fairy Princess Mummy

Any progress?

I am aware that I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks and am now in week three of my journey!

I also completely forgot to post my stats (a bit silly as this is supposed to be about me tracking my progress - or non-progress!)
So here they are
Weight - 73.6kg
BMI - 28
Dress Size - 14

I have not lost any weight and am struggling to get my head in gear so I have gathered a 'toolkit' (Mostly developed from other peoples experiences and knowledge) and I have a plan.
My plan is to get in to my healthy BMI range which means losing about 14kg. 
My tools

• Weighing scales - to weigh myself every Saturday morning
• Tape measure - to keep track of my measurements
• Pedometer - cos I don't walk enough
• Water bottle - to help me drink my two litres a day
• Food diary - this is the one I'm using: http://www.personal-nutrition-guide.com/support-files/food_mood_journal.pdf
• A good friend - my lovely (and glam) friend G has agreed to be my buddy.
• A lovely husband who cooks
• 2 active kids (with the occasional help from their active cousin)
• A blog! - extra accountability

I also created an inspiration picture which includes my reasons for wanting to be healthy including:
- being a good role model for the girls
- having more strength and energy
- to fit in to the dress I was wearing when my husband proposed
- to be able to wear my wedding ring again (I had to stop wearing it when I was about 7 months pregnant with baby monkey and have not been able to wear it alongside my engagement ring since)

Tracking systems
I love a sticker so am using a Change4Life poster and tiger cub has her own too
I also have a weight loss graph on my wall and in my diary.

I also realised I needed even more accountability and help to change the way I see some food so have signed up for a 'Fresh Start' programme run by the Kent Community Health Trust.

Hopefully I will see some changes soon!

Sweet dreams

Fairy Princess Mummy
xx

Getting started

So today was officially the first day of week 1 and was fairly typical of how my 'new beginings' start!

We started of today well - with me and the girls doing exercise.  I did a great Pilates session while the girls did a kids exercise class which they loved and didn't want to leave. 


Any exercise class which involves balloons has got to be good!

But food wise was not so great.  Luckily, I have already decided that Saturday is my 'free day' (see how good I am at justifying eating rubbish).  I am very aware that my diet has been punctuated by so much sugar, caffeine and processed food that to go completely cold turkey would make me crave some food more.  So my plan is to monitor my food 6 days a week and have one day where I can relax a little.  I am also planning on getting more support to help me change my mindset to help stop the snacking. 

My abs are starting to ache a little and the fizzy wine is calling!

Happy bank holiday weekend.

Sweet dreams

Fairy Princess Mummy
xx